Thai law enforcement announced Monday the seizure in a Bangkok warehouse of 1.65 tons of methamphetamines hidden in bales of cotton, a “first” according to an official, and the arrest of four men on site.
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“This is the first time we have seized such a quantity of methamphetamines,” Phanurat Lukboon, secretary general of Thailand’s anti-narcotics agency, told reporters.
Authorities inspected 140 rolls of cotton fiber coming from Africa, via India, and found traces of methamphetamines on 33 of them, according to the officer. The seizure took place on Friday.
-The merchandise was intended for Europe, the United States or Australia, he continued.
Authorities did not specify the value of the cargo, but a one-ton seizure made last May was valued at $25 million.
Methamphetamine is generally consumed in two forms: either in crystals (“ice”) or via tablets that are generally less pure.
The border region between Burma, Laos and Thailand, nicknamed the “Golden Triangle”, has long been a hotbed of drug production and trafficking, particularly methamphetamine and opium.
Some 190 tonnes of methamphetamines were seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2023, a record, compared to 151 tonnes in 2022; according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
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